Academic throws his hat into ring in bid to be MSP

AN ACADEMIC and UK Government adviser is now bidding to become an MSP.

Adam Tomkins is seeking the Tories’ nomination to stand in a Glasgow constituency. However, he also hopes to take top spot on the Glasgow regional list, a position which would almost guarantee him a seat at Holyrood.

Mr Tomkins, the John Millar Professor of Public Law at Glasgow University, was one of the Scottish Conservative negotiators during the Smith Commission talks on further devolution. There, he worked alongside Baroness Goldie, the former leader of the Scots Conservatives.

Since then he has been handed a role as a constitutional adviser to Scottish Secretary David Mundell, as he steers the Scotland Bill through the House of Commons.

Mr Tomkins announced the move in a typically forthright post on his blog, Notes From North Britain, which included a withering attack on the SNP’s record in government.

Describing the Nationalist administrations which have held power since 2007 as dismal, he said the SNP would be brought down by demonstrating to Scots that our solutions to Scotland’s problems are better than the SNP’s, even if we don’t tattoo the Saltire on every press release and policy announcement.

He added: “Naturally, I want Ruth Davidson to be First Minister, not Nicola Sturgeon, but if the SNP leader pips Ruth to the post, the Scottish Conservatives are, at the least, extremely well placed to form the most robust, principled and effective opposition that any SNP administration has yet faced.”

Mr Tomkins, who was a prominent No campaigner in last year’s independence referendum, descr ibed himself as a “liberal, modern, reformist” Conservative.

He throws his hat into the ring as around half the Tories’ complement of 15 MSPs prepare to stand down at next May’s election.

Leader Ruth Davidson, currently a Glasgow regional MSP, will fight the election in the Lothians, where the party believes it can make gains.

The current Lothians Conservative MSP Gavin Brown is among those standing down, allowing Ms Davidson to top the party list.